I am not necessarily a full-fledged tree-hugging, granola-eating environmentalist ... yet ... but I have really been thinking a lot about the environment lately. Specifically, what role should each of us be playing in protecting the environment?

I think that sometimes it is very easy for us to think that, as individuals, our environmental efforts are meager. We would like to think that we can leave it up to "the man" -- big business -- to take care of things. I am beginning to realize that that is not the way it should be. We need to all play roles.

We expect big business to spend extra money for environmental efforts. We seem to think that they owe it to us ... and to the environment ... to spend whatever money they have to in order to be good stewards of the earth.

But are we willing to do the same thing?

Where do you buy your gasoline? Do you look at price or do you consider the environmental record of the company that produced it? It takes money to be environmental.

Do you buy the 25 cent incandescent bulbs or the much longer last and energy efficient $5 fluorescent bulbs?

Do you leave the water running when you brush your teeth?

Have you scaled back your thermostat in the winter and turned it up in the summer?

Car pool? Even if only with your spouse when you can?

I must admit -- I cannot give the environmental answer to any of these things. As long as I cannot do that, then I have no right to shake my finger at "the man". I need to look inward.

God gave us an amazing earth ... and he calls us to populate it ... to fulfill that, we must protect it.

We are truly called to stewardship ... like anything, baby steps are better than nothing ... and I am pledging to work on that. We must not only talk the talk but also walk the walk.

(And if anyone would like to take a major step by buying an envrionmentally-friendly aluminum roof, please contact me!)